My Own Worst Enemy
by musicalreader
Summary: This is the FINAL CHAPTER. See what happens when you split pure evil, see what happens to the characters in the aftermath, and for all you romantics, there is a very nice ending for a couple of characters... you probably know who, but read it anyway... MR
1. Chapter 1

_**My Own Worst Enemy**_

_Part 1_

"Those that do not learn from the past are doomed to repeat it…"

Danielle was floating through the void of the Ghost-Zone. It had been five years since Danny saved the earth from the ectoranium asteroid and the nations of the globe finally worked out their differences. Although, she never fully got over the fact that she was essentially him, having been cloned from Danny by Vlad Masterson almost six years previously… Since she had gained her freedom from the man she originally thought of as a father, she'd been exploring the world and the Ghost-Zone trying to find her purpose in the grand scheme of things, and so it was that she found herself in the void.

Her purpose was an exceptionally large problem for her since, despite her appearance of a 16 year old girl, with all of the hormones that go along with them, she was only about six years old. She was actually beginning to reconsider the Fenton's offer of adopting her when she looked around and found herself in a new section of the Zone. Frostbites Infinimap, when she looked at it, confirmed her suspicion that this was one of the oldest areas. There were no homes around, and as far as she could see, she was the only sign of life for several miles in any direction.

After consulting the map again, she saw that there was some kind of giant clock tower directly ahead of her. She flew as fast as she could, not enjoying the solitude of the space around her, until she finally reached the tower… Dani phased back into her human form and walked through the front door. One of the perks of being half ghost, was that she could be intangible on either plane when she need to be…

"Whoa…" she muttered to herself when she was inside the giant, lonely structure.

"Is anyone in here? I was wondering around and I kind of ran into this place. Hello?"

Silence returned her call.

"My name is Dani Phantom… is ANYONE here?" she called out, starting to really freak out. There were only two explanations for an empty area of the Ghost-Zone. None of them were good.

"Fine then… I guess I'll just be leaving…" Dani muttered, turning to walk out the door she came in, when a burst of light from down the hallway made her turn around. She knew it was probably a bad idea, but she wanted to know what it was…

She flew off down the cathedral like hallway. As she went, she couldn't help but notice that the walls were almost completely covered in moving cogs and springs. As if the entire building was alive.

When she finally reached the room that held the soft glow, Dani phased back to human and walked through the door. The first thing to catch her eye was a portal, swirling in the center of the room, almost like a television screen.

"Why hello there…" a voice said from behind her, causing Dani to start.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I…" she tried to apologize.

"It's alright Danielle. I'm not going to hurt you. You were supposed to be here anyway…" the ghost said, smiling and changing his form from a baby to a fully grown man, then into an old man.

"You're Clockwork…" she guessed, remembering something Danny had told her once…

"Yes. Yes I am. And you are Danielle Phantom, 16 year old girl who is a half-ghost and the clone of none other than the famous Danny Fenton. I know you well." Clockwork replied cryptically, "I have been watching you for quite some time actually. It seems that you are to follow your predecessors' footsteps and make a very important decision very soon."

"How do you know that?" Dani asked, "I know Danny said you know everything, but you can't know _**everything**_ can you?"

"Well now… that's an interesting question." Clockwork admitted, "It is true that I know many things, but you are correct, I don't know everything. There is free will after all, and many timelines that could come into being. But I'm afraid that the rules say you have to be alone for your decision… and since you are where you need to be to _**make**_ your decision, I'll leave you alone to choose…"

"Wait!" Dani called out as Clockwork disappeared in a vortex of time to go wherever. "At least tell me what my choices are…" she grumbled, looking around the home of the Master of Time.

In the reborn silence of Clockwork's tower, Dani started to look around when it was apparent that he wasn't coming back.

There were so many things on his shelves that Dani was mesmerized by the sheer variety. There were jewels that looked like they would be at home in the tomb of a Pharaoh. Then there were all the different pieces of technology that had caught the time keeper's eye. Some of the stuff looked like it came from alien planets, and others looked like they came from the future of her own world. Suddenly, she noticed something familiar amongst the collection…

Dani reached out her hand and wrapped it around the cold metallic cylinder. Upon closer inspection, her suspicions were confirmed. Clockwork had a Fenton-Thermos of all things… as she was about to put it back where she found it, a whisper cut through the silence and caused her to jump for the second time that day.

"Dani…" the voice called, "Help me…"

"Who's that?" Dani asked, looking around the cavernous room.

"It's me…Danny."

"Danny?" she asked, still looking through the gloom of Clockwork's tower. "Where are you?"

"I'm in here…" the voice whispered, "The thermos. Open it up and save me. Clockwork trapped me in here. Help me Dani…"

"Hold on Danny!" she called, "I'll get you out of there…"

Dani started to struggle with the Thermos, not really sure how it worked and regretting turning Danny down the time he had offered to show her how to use it. Finally, she unlatched the lid and found the release button. There was a small rush of wind as the thermos expelled it's captive, which wasn't Danny at all.

"Thank you child…" the ghost said, smiling evilly and stretching its arms, "I can't tell you how cramped it gets in there."

"You're not Danny!" she shouted, transforming and flying out of the way. "Why did you say you were? Who are you?"

"Ahhh my dear, I _**am **_Danny. Just not the one you know." The new ghost answered cryptically. "Now, I can't have you running off and ruining my wonderful revenge, so I'm afraid you'll have to take my place in the thermos…"

"What? NO!" was all Dani could get out before the thermos was turned on her and she was sucked into the cold depths of the container in a vortex of energy.

Danny popped the lid on the thermos and laughed, "Pity, she could have made a wonderful servant, but then, what do I care?"

"So I see you're finally out?" Clockwork said, coming out of a vortex behind Danny.

"Yes I am you meddler, and now, it's your turn to experience my prison…" Danny replied, spinning in place and pointing the Thermos at Clockwork.

For all the power that he held, Clockwork did not flinch as he was pulled into the cold metal.

"Hmmm… now that he's out of the way, I can try and figure out how to get my revenge on my less powerful self… but first, I should get rid of you two hunh?" he said, looking at the Thermos in his hand and smiling, his fangs gleaming in the light from the vortex.

And with that, the evil that was Danny flew out of Clockworks tower and headed straight for Pariah's Keep… the least traveled part of the Ghost-Zone besides Clockwork's area. The dead palace echoed every breath and through the ruins of a wall long since blasted to pieces, he saw the Coffin of Forever Sleep. Unlike Vlad Masters though, he didn't want to open the coffin, instead, he simply phased his hand into a mortal form and passed it and the Thermos through. When the Thermos was safely put away in the coffin, away from any accidents that could release Clockwork and the girl, he headed back to Clockworks zone, a plan long since formed bubbling inside his mind.

When he got back to the portal at Clockwork's home, Danny grabbed one of the medallions off the wall and switched the portal on to the present day. He wanted to see how his Good self had turned out. After all, it was no fun to destroy him if he wasn't at least somewhat of a challenge. When he caught sight of Amity Park, he jumped through and went through the portal, ready to finally have his revenge on himself…

Okay. There's the first part of the story for you. Please review it and let me know what you think. For those of you who know me, I am going to be updating when the parts are done, not necessarily weekly. For those of you who have never heard of me, just put me on author alert if you liked it and you can read it as I finish it. the next chapter will show the present Amity Park, that is, five years after the Phantom Planet incident, and all the wonderful relationships that are going on. This story will be part action, part drama, part romance, and hopefully some comedy from Tucker… and as always,

Happy Reading,

musicalreader


	2. Chapter 2

_**My Own Worst Enemy**_

_Part 2_

"The past is an elaborate record of our mistakes and a gallery of our greatest triumphs…"

Danny flew into the vortex and was sucked into the time stream. If it weren't for the medallion he had stolen from Clockwork's home, he would have been utterly destroyed. After what felt like an eternity in the warping, spiraling tunnel between dimensions and realities, he found himself in what he could only assume was the present… by the looks of things though, it had been about five or six years since he was trapped by his good self. But all that would be fixed soon.

"Dude…" a voice said from behind, "you look awesome man. Are you going to the Halloween party or something?"

Danny spun around and saw a college student looking up at him, clearly not in his sober mind. "What?" he asked incredulously.

"Yeah man…" the stoner replied. "Fenton is having this awesome party. You know who Fenton is right?"

"Better than you know…" Danny replied, smiling viciously as he thought of just how easy it would be to destroy his weaker half. "I wonder though, what year is it?"

"Ha… dude, if you need the year, you're higher than ME!" the stoner laughed, clearly not comprehending how close to death he was. "I'm just messing with you man. It's Unity Year 4"

"What the hell is Unity Year?" Danny asked, stumped by just how different this world was from the one he had ruled over.

"Dude… Are you feeling okay? You look sick man…"

"I'm fine. But if I were you, I'd start talking…" Danny instructed, pushing the boy against a brick wall

"Whoa! What do you want to know uh… sir?"

"Tell me everything that's happened since the Nasty Burger exploded." Danny ordered, since he knew for sure that that actually happened in his AND this timeline.

"Alright man… this kid Danny Fenton saved the world from this huge asteroid and ever since, he's been playing the hero when it comes to fighting ghosts."

"And the rest of the world? You said _**Unity Year**_…"

"That's because of Fenton's friends. Everyone knows the story. After we were all saved thanks to him and his friends, the rest of the world signed some pact and united. They even set up a statue in all the capitols and everything. And to top it off, Tucker Foley became the Head Speaker for the world. Every nation's leader answers to him when there's a problem. He's in town for a visit, and Fenton and his girlfriend are throwing a Halloween party."

"Did you forget anything?" Danny asked calmly, holding a fist glowing with energy up to the stoners face.

"AHHH! DUDE! That's all I know I swear!"

"You better be sure of that, or I'll find you and I'll make sure that I'm the last face you ever see…" Danny threatened, releasing the boy and laughing as he watched him run away screaming and wetting himself in terror.

When his informant was out of sight, Danny flew into the sky invisibly and tried to get his bearings on this twisted new world. He had been gone far too long. There were certain things about the horizon that seemed familiar, like the ruins of Plasmius's mansion. Apparently no one liked him no matter what happened.

Then there were all the new things that cluttered his once pristine view of the ruins that should have been the world. Fenton Works for example, had swelled from just that sad little hovel of a home, to a miniature mansion in its own right. Not to mention all the new buildings that seemed to go along with the town's hero… there was the Danny Phantom museum, the Danny Phantom memorial, and most sickeningly of all, the Fenton Hospital… ugh, if he ever hated something about himself, it would have to be what good he was apparently capable of. When he was done checking the damage, he finally found the party that the boy had described. True to word, it was huge and it seemed like everyone was there.

"You dumb bastard…" he muttered, cursing the mental image he had of his good self as he touched down and changed his form to that of a human. "These insignificant specks should be keeling down to you. You are better than them… but you're still not better than me…"

Danny was having the time of his life. Since he came out to the world about his secret life as Danny Phantom, things at his high school had gotten progressively better from the other students. Sam had said yes when he asked her out and though she would never admit it, she loved the attention she received as one of Amity Park's ghost fighting trio. And Tucker, the guy who had once been the school's resident techno geek, had gone farther than anyone had thought was possible, but not so far that he had forgotten about his friends. And that was the very reason Sam and him were having a party. Speaking of Sam…

"Hey Danny," she said, smiling as she walked over to him in her costume.

"Nice look for you Sam." he joked, motioning at her surprisingly bright outfit.

"Don't get too attached to it babe, this is the one night of the year I pretend to be something I'm not."

"Relax Sam, I was joking." He reassured her. "Hey, have you seen Tuck yet?"

"Not recently, actually, the last time I saw him he was over at the food table scoping out the chicken."

"Well, I hope he's having fun."

"I'm sure he's fine. Now get over here and dance with me…" Sam ordered, grabbing is hand and pulling him over to the giant dance floor where the band was hammering out one of Sam's favorite songs.

"What is this?" Danny asked, giving in to his girlfriends' directions and spinning her around in the air. (One of the perks of being part ghost was never having to worry about a crowded dance floor.)

"Don't worry about the music Danny." Sam instructed laughingly, trying to keep her balance on the tops of his feet as he moved for them in the air. "Just think about all the people here to see you. And me…"

"Mmmmm…" he mumbled, moving his head in closer to kiss her softly on the lips.

Suddenly, the music died and a spotlight lit up the air around them and a voice over the loudspeaker called out, "HEY YOU TWO… GET DOWN HERE AND STOP MAKING A SCENE!"

"Ugh… Tucker!" Sam yelled back, looking down over the crowd and picking her friend standing at the microphone stand, "Who gave you the mic?"

"DOESN'T MATTER!" he answered, "JUST GET DOWN HERE SO I CAN SEE YOU BETTER!"

"I'm going to kill him…" Danny muttered jokingly as he flew them down to the main stage over the top of the cheering and whistling crowd.

"No you aren't." Sam answered, smiling up at him, "that's my job…"

When they got to the stage, Danny phased back to his human form and walked over to his friend. "Well well, look who finally decided to say hi."

"You know how it is man, I've been busy since we graduated and I got elected. And let me tell you, the job may be cool for going around the world, but these leaders are fucking nuts." Tucker replied, only half joking.

"So, how's the college life treating you two?"

"It's great!" Danny replied honestly, "I've been having fun. And the classes aren't too bad either."

"Yeah, they definitely improved when your mom gave the art studios that supply of ectoplasm to paint with." Sam agreed. "I finally have a truly haunted painting."

"Wow Sam… and you complain about _**my**_ jokes?"

"Alright, we'll settle this now, Danny, who's funnier?" Sam asked.

"You are Sam." Danny agreed, pulling her closer, his hand around her waist.

"No fair! That doesn't count… you sleep with him for chrissake."

"All's fair in love and war Tucker…" Sam teased, hugging Danny, "but let's stop fighting and just enjoy the party before you have to go off to…"

"Sweden." Tucker finished proudly, "I have to settle something between a couple of the islands over there first thing."

"_**WELL ISN'T THAT JUST SO PERFECT…" **_a voice suddenly boomed from the speakers, a silhouette appearing on the giant screen that was supposed to hold the video feed of the band.

"_**IT'S SO NICE TO SEE THAT MY ONCE GLORIOUS WASTELAND HAS BEEN RUINED BY YOUR BLUBBERING WEAKNESS AND DISGUSTING HOPE…"**_

"Who are you?" Danny yelled, phasing into ghost form and flying up to where he was eye level with the image, which had seemingly come from nowhere.

"_**You mean you don't recognize your own self?" **_ the voice asked, _**"I am what you should have been… but since you decided to be good and care about others, I see now that I'll have to destroy you and start over in this world."**_

"You're me?" Danny replied, clearly confused, "But how can you be me?"

"_**Let me refresh your memory, you would have been me if your friends and family had died. Instead of letting it happen though, you decided to save them and in the process locked me away in a Fenton Thermos in Clockworks tower for over SIX YEARS!"**_

"You're him…" Danny gasped, "You're the evil me from the future…"

"_**Give the boy a medal." **_The evil Danny replied sarcastically, _**"Now listen closely, I AM going to destroy you Fenton, but not now… right now I am content to watch and wait. But know that your death is at hand."**_

Danny was so enraged that his eyes glowed and a burst of Ectoplasm shot from them like lasers, utterly destroying the silhouette of the one thing in the world that actually scared him… himself.

Well, I hope that set the mood for the rest of the story. I will try and write the next chapter faster, but I wanted people to realize that the story is not all about Danni, Dan, Danny, or any one character really. This is a story about everyone and for everyone. The next chapter will be about Danny F. and Sam M. and the relationship that they have built since Phantom Planet. I hope you'll look for it. Until then,

Happy Living,

musicalreader


	3. Chapter 3

_**My Own Worst Enemy**_

_Part 2_

"There is nothing in this world to fear, save for what we do not know…"

"Damnit!" Danny yelled, punching a hole in the wall of his room. "How the fuck did he get out?"

"Calm down dude…" Tucker cautioned, "did you check back with Clockwork?"

"Yeah, I checked his tower twice. If he's out there, he's not going to talk to me… and if he isn't, odds are that that bastard has something to do with it."

"You do realize you're talking about yourself right?" Sam asked from her spot on the edge of his bed.

"I know I am. And that's what pisses me off the most. This guy is what I would be now if Clockwork hadn't helped me out." Danny said, flopping down on his mattress beside Sam.

"Well, the good news is that you beat him once already. And now you're even stronger… so it should be easy right?" Tuck suggested, trying to spin the situation in a positive light.

"Yeah Danny, it's not like he can win a fair fight against you." Sam agreed.

"Maybe…" Danny muttered, "but something still doesn't feel right. I don't think he's stupid enough to try and attack me head on. He said he was content to wait and watch. I feel like he's going to go after the ones I care about."

"Then it's a good thing that we're a lot better at hunting ghosts now isn't it?" Sam bragged.

"Maybe…" Tucker said, "but if he pulls that disguise trick like he did seven years ago, then how would we know it was him?"

"That's the other thing. You saw how little effect the gear had on him before. I doubt that most of our stuff will hurt him."

"Then it seems like the safest place for us to be right now," Tucker thought out loud, "is with you until he makes his move."

"Okay Tuck, I love hanging out with Danny. But if he doesn't see an opening now, I'm sure he'll wait and then we're stuck the rest of our life worrying… and I _**refuse**_ to let a creep like him, no offense Danny, rule my life."

"Dude, no wonder you love her…" Tucker muttered to Danny, eliciting a smirk of approval.

"Maybe the best decision is to just do what we normally would and hope we can draw him out." Danny said.

"Hmmm, I don't like it, but I don't think we can really do anything else…" Sam relented. "But we still need to carry around something in case he starts trouble. You got anything Tuck?"

"Yep… just had them newly outfitted for the bigger ghosts like Vortex. The upgraded Fenton Thermos's."

"Thanks Tucker… now can I get some time alone you guys?"

"Alright then Hero…" Sam answered, using his pet name and pushing Tucker out of the room, shutting the door behind them.

Danny sat there in silence, staring at the wall of his dorm and thinking. So much had happened in just the last 24 hours that things couldn't possibly get worse. But per usual, he had no idea just how wrong he was…

The very next day, as Sam was walking from her dorm to her first class, she saw Danny in the distance. She ran over to see how he was doing, but stopped cold when she saw that he was talking with his arm around the shoulders of none other than Paulina.

"Sam! Hey!" Danny called over his shoulder, as if this was totally normal.

"Sam?" Paulina said questioningly, "oh wow, it is! Hi Sam! Danny was just going to show me what the town looked like from the clouds!"

When she heard this, it was all she could do not to punch her boyfriend in the face. Instead though, she swallowed her anger and calmly asked, "Danny, what the fuck are you doing with this slut?"

"You did not just call me a slut!" Paulina screeched indignantly.

"That was a little over the top don't you think Sam?" Danny asked disaffectedly.

"A little over the top?" Sam yelled, finally losing her cool. "Danny, do I honestly have to remind you that we're going out and you've got your arms around a cheap floozy who did nothing but make our lives in High School a living hell?"

"Now I think you're being a little harsh…" Danny replied nonchalantly.

"I think I'm being PERFECTLY reasonable. Unless you want us to be over Danny, you'd better start thinking things through!"

"Maybe he _**does**_ want you guys to be though." Paulina suggested, smiling wickedly at the thought of her least favorite person being hurt.

"Shut the hell up Paulina." Sam said, trying not to cry at the thought of her and Danny separating.

"Maybe she has a point?" Danny mused.

"You don't mean that…" she whispered, a tear starting to form in the corner of her eye.

"I think I do Sam… we're through, and try not to break down in the street ok?"

And with that, Danny walked away, Paulina under his arm, leaving Sam stunned with tears streaming down her cheeks. She watched as he changed forms and picked up Paulina, flying off into the horizon.

After they were out of sight of everyone else, Danny touched down in a secluded part of the woods outside the city. Paulina let go of his neck and stepped away, resting her back against the rough bark of a tree.

"Why are we way out here?" she asked, trying her best to look seductive.

"We're here so I can get rid of some evidence…" Danny replied, his face turned away from her, his voice changed to a deeper, more sinister one.

"Danny? Is everything okay?"

"Everything is going to be just fine, for me…"

Paulina was getting a little freaked out by his words, and as she listened, her eyes seemed to be playing tricks on her in the wooded light. It looked like he was growing in size…

"Now, I'm afraid that I have to get rid of you." he said, turning to face Paulina, his face having completely changed, and his eyes glowing a sinister red.

"What the hell are you?" Paulina screamed, backing away from the strange creature before her, "You're not Danny!"

"Actually my dear," he responded, "I am, but I'm better, and much more sinister than him… now I'm afraid that my plans don't call for you, so I'll be disposing of you now."

She turned and started to run, but before she could take three steps, not one, but two exact copies of the stranger blocked her path. They grabbed her arms and pinned her down on the ground. She watched, helpless, as the demon that had taken the place of Danny Fenton stood over her, his hands glowing an eerie green, and then everything went black.

"Well now, that was annoying, but I think that should do the trick…" Dan said to himself, literally…

"I think that went rather well." One of this copies commented, "We definitely made it to where he won't be getting any help from his little girlfriend. And to top it off, we got to kill someone!"

"Oh, my favorite part was when she tried to run." The other copy said excitedly, "I always did like that about our little playthings. What was her name again? She was especially fun…"

"I believe she was Polly something?" the original chimed in, already grinning as he thought about his next move. "Now, I hate to be rude to myself, but we need to get on with our little endeavor."

"Oh yes, that's right…" the first copy said, dissolving.

"Does this mean I get to take out the other one?" the second copy asked.

"Absolutely. After all, who am I to deny myself what I want?" the original said, grinning maliciously over the smoking corpse of Paulina as his clone flew off to take care of Tucker.

Sam refused to think that Danny could be so cruel. She vowed to find out just what the fuck was happening and why. When she knocked on his door a few minutes after he flew off with Paulina; it came as a surprise that he answered, still looking half asleep.

"mmmwhatsupSam?" he mumbled, only somewhat coherent.

"What the hell was that?" she asked, trying to keep her voice in check so as not to appear hysterical.

"What was what?"

"Outside, you had _**Paulina**_ under your arm and you broke up with me…"

"Sam… I just woke up. Are you sure that wasn't one of those really freaky dreams?" Danny suggested, rubbing sleep from his eyes.

"This wasn't a dream Danny. Now are you sure you were asleep?"

"Yeah, I had a dream about you." he answered smiling.

"That's sweet babe, but right now I'm still really freaking out."

"Why would you be freaking out?" Danny asked, starting to really wake up.

"_**Because someone who looked, sounded, and had the same exact powers as you just messed with my head that's why!"**_she exclaimed, finally losing all semblance of a cool and level head.

"Whoa there Sam… you said he had the same powers as me? And the same looks and everything?"

"Yeah… the only thing different about him was the eyes. They were colder than yours have ever been."

Danny tried to remember something Jazz had told him once… after he faced his evil self the first time…

"I'm calling for some help." He said simply, inviting Sam inside his room and going for the phone.

Jazz was sitting in her room at the Fenton Headquarters, working on a new, more compact form of the Ghost-Catcher when the phone in her headset rang. She touched the earpiece to receive the call…

"Hello?"

"_Jazz. I need to ask you something very important, do you remember when you saw the evil version of me a few years ago? Did he have the power to alter his appearance?"_

"Wow Danny, that's kind of strange, but yeah. He did. Why? Did something happen?"

"_I don't know how, but he escaped Clockworks tower and he's loose. I thought he might be outside right now posing as me, but I couldn't be sure until I called you. thanks for the info sis…"_

Danny! Don't hang up yet! I need to tell you something…"

"_Well can it wait? I'm trying to figure out what he's doing."_

"No. You know how Mom and Dad gave me all their notes a year ago when I started working with them?"

"_Seriously Jazz? You're going to talk to me about lab notes?"_

"It's not just about notes; it's this idea I had written after you fought him the first time… I just saw it and I think it might help."

"_Alright then, what is it? And can you keep it short, I'm on a time crunch here."_

"I had this idea, that when your alternative self separated his ghost form from his human, that the one half was totally emotions, and the other was just a hollow shell. I think that the ghost half of you is the hollow shell. And when that side of you possessed Vlad, he somehow became overwhelmed by the evil of Plasmius…"

"_So? He got a little cranky. What does that have to do with the here and now?"_

"I think that if you can find some way to separate the two halves that make this version of you. I think that's the key to beating him once and for all."

"_That's a great idea Jazz, but there's just one problem… HOW THE HELL AM I SUPPOSED TO DO THAT?"_

"I… I don't know… but I thought I'd let you know in case it helps you out."

"_Well, listen, thanks for the idea, but I think I'm going to beat him the old fashioned way before he hurts anyone okay?"_

"Fine… but be careful okay?"

"_Alright, now I have to go… by Jazz."_

"Okay, bye Danny…"

And with that, she hung up the phone, left alone in the workshop with only the hum of the machines and the fear of her little brother's evil side looming overhead…

"Well, on the one hand, I think that the me you saw was him." Danny said when he got off the phone and turned to face Sam, "on the other, I now have to worry that everyone in the city is going to be attacked by me!"

"Calm down Danny… if he was going to do something violent to the people, he would have done it by now. Think about it, he was a few feet away from me this morning. I'm still here aren't I?"

"I know Sam… but I feel so, so _**helpless**_ right now… he could have killed you, and I wouldn't have been able to do anything… I want you to stay with me for now. Until this whole thing is done, I want to know that you're safe…"

"Fine, I'll stay with you… but what about Tucker?" Sam asked.

"I'm going to get him now. But I'm leaving a clone with you just in case." Danny said resolutely, splitting into two different bodies.

As he flew out of the building, Sam looked at the clone and said nonchalantly, "You know I'm going to follow you right?"

Danny's clone smiled, "Yeah… I'm more supposed to help you get there and back safely."

When she was ready, they flew into the wall and came out on the other side, heading in the direction of a column of smoke that had formed over the center of the city.

When Danny arrived at the Mayor's mansion, which Tucker was staying in for the time being, he saw that there was an entire wall missing from the left side of the structure. There was smoke billowing from the wound in the architecture, and Danny could hear screams coming from inside that sounded like someone being tortured… He flew inside, phasing through the wreckage and making his way towards the screams of the trapped, but hopefully unharmed inhabitants. Even though nothing could actually hurt him while he was intangible, he could feel the heat from the flaming ruins. He stopped for a minute and breathed out a blast of cold air that froze the rubble into at least a passable tunnel. When he was satisfied that he could get as many people out as he needed to he continued into the wrecked building. After five minutes of furtive searching, he was ready to give up. That's when he heard the scream…

"HEEELLPPP!" it called out, "DANNY!"

"Tucker!" Danny called back, recognizing the voice. "Are you alright? Where are you?"

When he didn't hear a response, Danny willed himself intangible and set off in a straight line towards his friends voice. He found the room where Tucker was huddled in a corner, staring in fright back at him. But when he went to move in closer, one of the shadow's started to move. Before he knew it, his evil self was standing over Tucker, his hand glowing with energy, and a deadly look of insanity in his red eyes.

Well, I hope that can keep you entertained until the next chapter. What will happen next? And what is Dan's ultimate goal? Keep reading to find out. Also, sorry about the late update, but I have been working on a lot lately, and I wanted this chapter to come together nicely. Please review so I can get a grip of what you want to see happen… otherwise, you may not like the ending at all. PM me with any questions, and tell your friends.

Happy Reading,

musicalreader


	4. Chapter 4

_**My Own Worst Enemy**_

_Part 4_

"What is the future really? It can be altered on a whim, so is it really real?"

"You finally showed up… I was beginning to wonder if you had been hit by a car"

"You just can't stay gone can you?" Danny asked sarcastically, zooming forward and pulling his fist back.

When he connected with his Evil Side's chest, he heard a hollow sound and watched as he sailed through the wall, leaving only Danny and Tucker in the ruined room.

"Come on!" Danny said, holding his hand out to Tuck, "We need to get out of here before he comes back!"

"Too late for that." Danny heard a blast of energy hitting him in the shoulder, searing his flesh and leaving what he could only assume would be a scar should he survive…

"You never learn do you?" he taunted Danny

"I learned not to let you get up after I beat you down..." he retorted, letting loose a ghostly wail that sent his foe careening through the wall. When he stopped, he grabbed onto Tucker's arm and flew them both out of the building, turning invisible in case they were followed.

When they were a safe distance away, Danny phased back and landed, taking a quick look at Tucker to make sure he was alright before glancing at his own wound. The flesh was charred black at the edges and he could see blood soaking into the cloth as the burn festered. He had to look away when he saw some of his muscle visible…

"Holy shit dude!" Tucker exclaimed, "How are you still able to stay ghost like that?"

"Heh…" Danny chuckled, sending a wave of chills as his body started to get over the shock. "This is nothing… I'll be fine."

"I don't care if you say you're fine, I'm getting you to a hospital." Tucker said resolutely, listening to his friend's labored breathing.

"No time… I got us almost to Fenton Works… just help me over there. My folks have some pretty good first aid…" he instructed, trying to stay upright, and accepting the arm Tucker offered as he started to walk the last hundred yards to their destination.

"Wait, if you change back to human, do the wounds go away?" Tuck asked.

"Some of the smaller ones disappear yeah… but something like this will only get worse if I change back. I'm tougher as a ghost, you know that…"

Tucker thought about that as they hobbled up the empty street towards Danny's old house. All the times that Danny was injured and passed out suddenly made sense. His best friend, who he had always thought of as invincible was more vulnerable that Tucker had ever imagined.

Another thought hit him and he asked, "If you're injured, does that mean that your clone is hurt too? And how do you tell the difference between you and a clone?"

"Later Tucker, I'll explain later… just get me inside and down to the lab okay?" Danny said, his back exploding in pain and his strength ebbing as blood flowed down his charred skin and onto the pavement.

They were both silent until they finally made it to the Fenton's front door, an emergency key giving them access to the inside of the break in proof house.

"Uhhh Danny, have you been here recently?" Tucker asked.

"Yeah…why?" Danny asked, turning his gaze from the floor to the surrounding room, a look of shock and disbelief spreading across his face.

"Because I don't think it's supposed to look like this…"

All around them was rubble and ruin. Papers were scattered and tables were overturned as if a small storm had come through and maliciously sought out everything of value. After the shock of seeing everything scattered and ramshackle, they were hit by the silence of it all. There was a cup of coffee on the table that had somehow survived the maelstrom. Tucker touched it and realized that it was cold to the touch.

"Whatever happened here was done at least a couple hours before we got here." He commented, looking warily at his friend who was now slumped over in a chair, holding his head in his hands.

"He did this…" Danny muttered through gritted teeth. "He's going to finish what he started before… and he won't stop hurting everyone until I'm destroyed."

"We don't know that dude." Tucker reasoned, finding the emergency kit hidden away behind the splintered remains of a cabinet door.

"Think about it Tuck, he shows up, messes with Sam directly, tries to kill me by putting you directly in harm's way. And if Jazz had been here, he would have gotten her too! Let's face it, if he hasn't already killed someone, it won't be long now."

"Danny, I'm telling you this as your friend. Shut up. I mean that man. You are psyching yourself out here. Sure he may have done all that, but you're acting like you've already lost. You beat him once as a freshman! You've had five years to master your powers, and Sam and I aren't exactly useless ourselves. We're going to win this time too."

Danny sighed and decided to listen to Tucker. He leaned forward and Tuck rubbed some burn cream and antiseptic into the now festering wound on Danny's shoulder. the next thing he did was to pour a good size puddle of Hydrogen Peroxide, holding Danny as it helped cleanse the area, leaving a white bubbly mass. When he was ready, Danny motioned to Tucker and cringed as his shoulder was wrapped in clean gauze and cotton.

"That should do it for now." Tucker said confidently, hoping that his medical knowledge was sufficient. He flipped on the T.V. for Danny while he went to go wash his hands.

_Shocking news from the Park near the edge of town, the body of a woman was found having been burned and disfigured beyond identification. There is little to help officials narrow the possibilities save for a silver necklace which has the letter P set into a gold circle__. Based on testimony from local college students, there is speculation that the victim may in fact have been local beauty queen Paulina Esperanza.__ There seems to be little indication that the attacker fled on foot and the area around the girl bears traces of ectoplasm. Could this be a rogue ghost? Further details will be released as the case unfolds. _

"I have to get back to Sam as soon as I can. And you're coming along with me." Danny said, turning the T.V. off and getting off the couch than he should have been able to under normal circumstances.

"Like I was going to give you a choice..." Tucker said smugly, grabbing a couple of the more intact weapons that were laying on the ground.

"Do you really think you'll be able to do something with those?" Danny asked, nodding at the somewhat broken tech in his friends arms.

"Didn't you ever pay attention when your dad was teaching us how to use these?" he scoffed, "I probably know how to fix these ten times faster than you."

"Point taken…" Danny said, laughing slightly, "Now get over here so we can go find Sam before _**he**_ does."

As they flew over the town for what felt like an eternity, Tucker felt like getting some answers.

"So how does the whole clone thing work anyway dude?"

"Well, it's sort of like I'm in two places, but at the same time I'm not…"

"You lost me man." Tucker commented, trying to hang on as best he could as they zoomed through the air at speeds that should have caused him to black out.

"It's hard to explain, but pretty much, if I make a clone, we both know who the original is. And if there is a plan, they automatically know what it is because it's me… just a different me. As for getting hurt, if one of them gets destroyed, I don't feel anything, I just know what that clone saw and experienced…"

"So it's like osmosis?" Tucker guessed.

"Sort of yeah… I guess you could call it that." Danny replied, for the first time actually thinking hard about how his powers actually worked.

"We're almost there." Tucker said, looking down at Danny's dorm building.

"Alright… You know what to do if it's a trap right?"

"Hit the deck and hide." He guessed.

"Pretty much dude." Danny said grimly.

Danny turned invisible and intangible and passed through the wall, hesitant of any ambush that might have been planned. Luckily for them, the room was still empty. Unfortunately, the quiet also meant that Sam and Danny's clone were nowhere to be seen.

"Hey, there's a note here man." Tucker said, picking the scrap of paper off of Danny's mattress.

_**Dear Danny,**_

_** Sorry if I scared you by not being here, but I had a thought after you left. You're clone is with me, and we're going up to Vlad's old mansion. I think that there may be some notes there that we can use. Come there when you read this.**_

_**Love,**_

_**Sam**_

Danny breathed a sigh of relief when he read that she at least had his clone with her. Then he realized that if she was going to go look for something, she was probably about to be a target… He grabbed Tucker and without even acknowledging his friends annoyance at suddenly being whisked off, again, he flew them as fast as he could to Vlad's mansion, where they would hopefully find Sam alive and unharmed.

_**Alright folks. Sorry this chapter is so short, but I lost my notebook with all the chapter outlines in it, so I'm having to run this off of memory. Also, I've been getting more and more frustrated with having to write Danny's Evil Side, so starting next chapter, I will be calling him something different. If you have any ideas, please let me know. I appreciate you reading this for those of you who actually do, and happy Veteran's Day to those in the US.**_

_**Leave a review please on your way out **_

_**Happy Reading,**_

_**Musicalreader **_

_**PS- the next update, time permitting, will be sometime this weekend… most likely Sunday afternoon.**_


	5. Chapter 5

_**My Own Worst Enemy**_

_Part 5_

"Good and Evil is subjective… so what is truly right?"

Sam had decided to stay out of Danny's way, but that didn't mean she was going to sit back and wait it out… "Can I get a lift to Vlad's old place?" she asked the clone he had left behind.

"Are you going to try and stay safe?" he replied, just as worried about her as the real deal…

"I'll try and stay out of trouble at the big empty building yes."

"Alright then, but I'm still not letting you go in alone." He said.

"That's a given…" she muttered, writing a quick note to Danny if he got back before her. When it was done, she tried not to shiver as his clone wrapped it's arms around her and they flew off to Vlad's abandoned mansion… hopefully to find some answers.

They touched down after only a minute or two of flying, and when they were solid, she wasted no time in running to Vlad's lab under the study, the door having long since been blown apart and left to rot. As they went down the stairs, the clone froze.

"What is it?" Sam asked.

"I think there's something else in here with us…" he said uncertainly, "wait here… I'll be right back."

"How about I keep walking, and you catch up?" she replied sarcastically.

"Fine, just yell if you need me…" and with that, the clone flew up through the ceiling, presumable to find out what else was in here with them.

Sam went down the rest of the stairs in silence.

When she finally reached the door to Vlad's old lab, she was surprised to see that the door was in relatively great condition. The number pad next to the handle was relatively easy to hack, thanks to a little invention Tucker had made on a whim in their Junior year. She pushed the metal out of the way and couldn't help but admire how well it slid on its hinges, as if the owner had been here recently rather than being exiled in space for years.

The lab looked exactly like she had thought it would, beakers and test tubes still holding the remnants of old experiments. Wires sticking out of half finished weapons and tools most likely boot legged off some old Fenton-Works design. The only thing that struck her as odd was the portal at the end of the room. Rather than being shut down, which was how Danny, Tucker and her had left it when Vlad was finally gone… the portal was open and running. The all too familiar vortex was swirling into what seemed like infinity, which was understandable given what lay on the other side. She heard a noise and spun around half expecting something evil to be standing right behind her, but it was only Danny in his human form.

"You scared the shit out of me you know that?" she joked

"Sorry about that Sam." he replied, his voice a little colder than usual, but that was probably just nerves and stress.

"Well that's good. Now help me figure this out…" she said, turning her back to him and again trying to figure out why Vlad's portal would be active.

"Figure what out Sam?" he asked.

"Well, this portal was shut down by us a few years ago right? But now it's on and there doesn't seem to be any sign of someone being in here in ages… how the hell did it switch on and why?"

"Maybe he turned it on when he came into this world…" Danny mused, suddenly a lot closer than he had been. "Perhaps he needs a way to get back to the Ghost-Zone." 

Sam spun around to face him and found him literally centimeters away from her face. "Uh hunh…" she said, getting a bad vibe from Danny all of a sudden. "But what could he need in the Ghost-Zone?"

"That's probably where he wants to fight? It seems appropriate don't you think? The most powerful ghost hybrids in history, in the world… it seems a fitting place to end one or the other."

"Are you alright Danny?" Sam asked, now genuinely concerned. "You don't sound like yourself…"

"How should I sound then Sam?" he asked, walking forward and causing Sam to back up almost to the point that she fell through the portal. "Should I sound a little bit weaker? Or perhaps you want to be reassured that he's not going to come back and destroy every pathetic aspect of this damn world… well forget it."

"Oh shit… you're him aren't you? What the hell did you do with Danny you bastard!"

"He's fine… for now. I left him with a little scratch is all." He taunted, shifting forms like he had been wearing a smoky veil. "You however, I can't exactly say the same for."

"Stay the hell away from me…" Sam warned, pulling out a tazer specifically designed to work on humans and ghosts.

"You think that little toy is going to keep me from getting what I want?" he asked sarcastically, closing the remaining distance and grabbing her wrist.

"LET HER GO YOU SICK FUCK!" a voice yelled from behind them. Sam looked and was relieved to see that it was Danny and Tucker standing there ready to destroy anything in their path.

"If I were you child… actually, I am. Just know that if you move an inch, I'll kill her and then you, which I was going to do anyway, but there's no need to rush things now is there?" he said, spinning Sam and wrapping his arm around her throat.

"Just get rid of him!" Sam choked out desperately, "He's not going to let me live anyway… KILL HIM!"

Danny looked at them, his hands already glowing, but he didn't want to endanger Sam… "Alright… you win. Don't hurt her." He pleaded, much to his darker half's delight.

"Danny!" Sam cried out as she was pulled up off the ground and tossed over his shoulder.

"Wise decision boy. I am going to leave you now. If you follow me before five minutes is up, I will not hesitate to add another spirit to the Ghost-Zone." And with that he backed into the vortex and disappeared.

"Damnit!" Danny swore, blasting the nearest bookshelf into ashes out of sheer frustration. "What the fuck do we do now?"

"Dude chill out…" Tucker said, trying to calm him down. "If he wanted to kill her outright, he would have done it just now. Odds are he took her to buy some time for something. What we need is a plan…"

But Danny was deaf to what his friend said, he flew into a rage, burning, freezing, and utterly decimating the lab. Time had no meaning and he had barely enough sense to keep from including his friend and the portal itself in the destruction. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, Danny heard Tucker through the bloody rage pounding in his ears.

"Danny! It's been five minutes! We can go after them now! But we need a plan!" he called.

Danny flew into the portal headfirst, moving faster than should have been humanly possible, utterly ignoring the last thing Tucker had said.

"Or we can go in there half assed as usual…" Tucker said humorlessly, watching as Danny went into the portal unhinged and out for blood.

"Well, just because you can go in unprepared doesn't mean I can…" he muttered to himself, picking through the destroyed lab until he found an intact Fenton Thermos, no doubt stolen not long before the asteroid event all those years ago. "Now how the hell am I going to follow them?"

After looking in the remnants a few minutes more, Tucker found the a hovercraft covered in dust from the years it laid in the lab untended. On closer inspection, he was pleased to see that it was still in good enough shape to run. Without a thought as to the danger that surely laid ahead, he started it up and burst through the vortex on the trail of his friend…

_**This is part one of a double update. Sorry for the delay, but I wanted to get the mood right… anyway, read the next part and see what happens. There's still a few chapters to go so enjoy and tell me what you think in the Review's section. Any questions should be sent in a private message.**_

_**Happy living,**_

_**musicalreader**_


	6. Chapter 6

_**My Own Worst Enemy**_

_Part 6_

"Everything is cyclical, what has been will be again. Let us simply hope that if we can alter the bad next time around…"

Inside the Zone… Sam was struggling to get free of her rest raints as she was carried off to god-knows-where.

"You can try and get out all you want my dear. If you somehow manage to escape, I'll simply vaporize you."

Sam stopped squirming when she heard his icy tone and realized that he wouldn't hesitate to kill everyone in his path if it meant getting what he wanted.

When they touched down, Sam looked and saw that they were in a place that held some frightening memories. Pariah's Keep, where Danny had almost died once using the Fenton Power Suit to contain the most powerful ghost in existence. She could still see the scars that his battle with King Pariah had left in the fortress. The wall that had once hidden the Sarcophagus of Forever Sleep was in ruins and through the rubble she could see the silent tomb of the terrible ghost king. She glared at the sick perversion of Danny, silently hoping that he wasn't going to be so stupid as to open it…

"Oh stop looking at me like that…" he said, looking at her before walking over to the coffin, "all I want to do is kill your boyfriend, and rule your world with an iron fist. Now if you're a good little hostage, I'll even consider letting you live to serve me." And with that, he beamed a broken and fractured smile.

Sam would have told him to go to hell if she didn't think he'd enjoy it. Instead, she was forced to listen as he continued his monologue while reaching into the sarcophagus and withdrew a Fenton Thermos…

"You know, after I'm done with your sweetheart, I think I'll get rid of these two. Or do you think it will make a nice knick-knack in my new palace?"

While she listened, he set it down in front of her as if taunting her.

"Do you know who's in there?" he asked maliciously.

Sam couldn't speak, but she shook her head slightly, having decided that if she played along that she could buy some time.

"Should I tell you?" he mused out loud to the void, "Or should I keep you in suspense… after all, it may be that I've trapped Pariah Dark himself in here, or it may be that I've caught the one person who could tip the scales… would you really like to know? And would you trust me if I told you?"

Sam continued to glare at him, although by now the curiosity was beginning to get to her in spite of her situation.

"I wonder, have you heard from Danni in a while?" he asked, "And where is Clockwork to stop me this time around? Oh wait, that's right… I already got them"

Sam's eyes bugged out and she struggled anew to break free of her bonds. If she could get that thermos open, she could tip the scales from just Danny vs. Danny to something in their favor…

"You'd like me to let them go wouldn't you?" he asked, kneeling down at her head and dangling the thermos in front of her face, "You want to set them free and finally have a hope of beating me don't you? Well you can forget it. Even if those two joined the fight, Clockwork has to obey his precious rules, and that screwed up clone wasn't even a match for me when I had just gotten my powers!"

"Oh yeah? Well how about ME!" a voice called out from the void, a blur of black and white crashing into the Dark version of Danny with enough force to level a building.

Danny leaped off of the fallen form of his darker side and was about to bolt over to Sam when he felt an intense concentration of energy sear his flesh just shy of the burn he had received less than an hour ago.

"If you think I'm letting you save anyone, you're sadly mistaken…" he taunted, rising up from the hole that had resulted from the force of Danny's last hit. "You walk out of here with your friends over my dead body!"

"With pleasure…" Danny said almost silently.

"Make your move insect." He taunted, standing in front of Sam and the thermos on the ground.

Danny breathed in, ran to the side, and let loose a Ghostly Wail that slammed his evil side through the castle wall.

_**Okay, sorry about the exceptionally short chapter, but hopefully you enjoyed the first round of the final battle. There are about four-ish chapters left. Let me know what you thought of this in the Reviews section please, and as always, any questions or concerns should be sent to me via PM.**_

_**Happy Reading,**_

_**Musicalreader**_

_**PS- next week is Thanksgiving Week here in the U.S., so I will be posting at least 1 new chapter by next Friday.**_


	7. Chapter 7

_**My Own Worst Enemy**_

_Part 7_

"When one calls another villain, are they not just as hateful?"

Tucker sped along as fast as the speeder would allow. It was an older model and probably was missing a few dozen parts that would have helped, but it was all he could get hold of when Danny flew into the void. So far, he had not met any resistance and it was almost creepy how deserted the Ghost-Zone was. He was beginning to feel lost when he heard the unmistakable boom of Danny's Ghostly Wail echoing in the unpopulated void.

"There you are…" he muttered to himself, turning to face the origin of the noise.

"Hey! DUDE!" a voice called out from behind Tuck, the roar of a motorcycle approaching.

Tucker turned around to see none other than Johnny 13, accompanied by his shadow and Kitty, bearing down on him with a manic grin across his face.

"Did you feel that explosion?" he asked excitedly, "It's been forever since I had a good fight…"

"Johnny, you promised me we would go to the mortal world for some fun today!" Kitty whined.

"You guys might want to get out of here." Tucker cautioned, "There's an evil version of Danny running around and he's out to destroy everything."

"SWEET!" Johnny crowed, "So you're going to fight hunh? I'm tagging along then."

"I think you missed the point there dude."

"Johnny, if you're going to fight, I'm going with you." Kitty said, clinging to the back of his trenchcoat.

Shadow grinned in anticipation of a fight and Tucker could see that there was no way he was going to get out of taking them with him. "Alright…" he mumbled in consent, "But be careful, we don't need more death out of this…"

"Way ahead of you man! We come pre-dead!" Johnny joked, "So where are we going?"

"I think it came from over there…" Tucker said, consulting a scanner on the handles of the speeder and pointing into the distance.

"But that's the Ghost King's place." Kitty said, sounding a little scared at that thought.

"It's going to be alright kitten." Johnny soothed, "Now let's get going!"

And with that, the three of them sped off towards Pariah's Keep. When they got there, Tucker was startled to see Danny and two clones fighting with the Twisted version of himself. Not only that, but he also saw Sam struggling against energy bonds in front of a ruined wall.

"You guys help Danny distract him, I'll try and free Sam!" he called out, diving towards his friend.

"You got it! Shadow! Let's spread some bad luck!" Johnny cried, pointing at Danny's Darker Half and following close behind his own shadow, intent on slamming into him and evening out the fight…

Tucker landed a few feet from Sam and pulled the speeder between them for some cover and set to work trying to free her. As he tried to undo her bonds, she kept struggling until finally, he was able to free one of her hands. Instead of trying to get her other hand out though, Sam reached up towards the pile of rubble to her side and pointed at a metallic container that Tucker knew well.

As he climbed up the pile of ethereal boulders and dust, Tuck looked out on the fight that was still raging. The clones of Danny had been destroyed, and Johnny, Kitty, and Shadow were riding away from the fight, their bike beat up and sputtering along as they were forced to run. He finally reached the thermos and opened it up, hitting the button that emptied the contents. A miniature vacuum reversed and spat out not one, but two spirits.

"Whoa…" Danni muttered as she stood up from the ground where she suddenly found herself. "Where am I?"

"You were in the Fenton Thermos, do you remember anything?" Tucker said, looking at the second being that the thermos spat out, none other than the powerful spirit of time Clockwork.

"She and I were captured by the same person. I believe you'll be useful in this clash Danielle. But as for me, I cannot take part in this until the very end… good luck." Clockwork said, summoning a portal into whatever dimension it was he traveled through and disappearing.

"Tucker!" Danni said loudly in his ear, "Where's Danny? I need to warn him about something!"

"You mean the big scary guy who looks a lot like him but is actually pure evil?" he guessed sarcastically. "Yeah, we know about him. Now can you help me get the rest of these energy ties off Sam?"

"Oh! Yeah! Sure!" Danni agreed, leaning down and blasting the glowing bonds off of Sam's arms, ankles, and mouth.

When she was free, Sam sat up, "We have to do something!" she yelled as the speeder that separated them from the battle exploded in a burst of red energy.

"Yeah…we'll get on that… but how about we just try and get out of here in one piece?" Danni suggested, powering up an energy blast and flying off into the fray.

Danny was fighting for his life… again… but for the first time, he wanted to actually destroy his enemy. His Evil side was incredibly strong, and it was taking all of his strength to stay one step ahead and lure him away from where Sam and Tucker were. With another blast of cold, he tried to freeze him in place, but he dodged the blast and countered with an energy blast that would have incinerated him had he not put up a shield.

"Give up boy!" he called, catching Danny's leg in a block of spectral ice, "You CANNOT win…"

"Oh yeah?" Danny replied, phasing out of the block and moving in close for a kick to his enemy's face, "Well then where were you for the last few years?"

"A minor surprise whelp…" the villain replied, blocking Danny's blow, "and not one that shall be repeated."

Seeing that there was no way for either of them to gain ground using the same moves, Danny decided it was time to pull out something he had been practicing with Frostbite. He concentrated on the cold within himself, he gave it a form, and a crystal sliver grew in the palm of his hand, expanding and growing heavier and denser until a fully weighed ice sword was in his grip.

"You learned a new trick?" the demented clone taunted, "not bad… but which of us are you going to hit?" and with that, he split into four copies, each grinning at him.

"I'll just have to divide," Danny replied, also splitting into four parts, each with their own weapon, "and conquer!"

There was now a miniature war going on, as quickly as one of the Good Danny's would be destroyed, an evil version would fall. Energy blasts were flying everywhere and Ghostly Wails pervaded the air. While one would put up a shield, another would be run through or incinerated. Danny was beginning to think that there was no way for this to end without them both dying, until he heard a very familiar voice pierce the din.

"Danny!" he heard, "I'm coming!"

He looked over to where Danni's voice had come from, safe for the moment with a bubble shield coated in ice, and saw her flying over to the nearest pair of fighters. She got in under the Evil one's guard and distracted him long enough with an energy infused sweep of the feet for his clone to slice his head off with an Ice Sword.

"Danni! Get out of here!" he called, exploding out of his shell and causing the enemy he was fighting to back up momentarily, which he used to blast clean through his heart with an energy blast.

But if she heard him, he was ignored. She was almost caught a few times in the back by an energy blast, but his clones leapt in the way and took the hits. Finally, it was down to just Danny, Danni, and two Dark Copies.

"Give up now, and I'll let your friends leave and your end painless…" he said, grinning at them with that broken and fractured look in his eyes.

"Danni…" Danny whispered to his cousin, "Run now, I'll distract him… but run and help Tucker and Sam."

"But you'll be killed!" she exclaimed.

"That's not important, just get out of here, and take them with you!"

"Ready to die are we?" his Evil Side asked, stepping forward.

"NO!" Sam yelled, rolling out from behind the wreckage of the speeder, guns in hand and firing. Luckily, she managed to catch the last clone by surprise and he disintegrated. Unfortunately, the real villain put up a shield and was safe.

"You'll pay for this!" he screamed, blasting towards Sam, his hands glowing a deadly red.

Out of nowhere, Tucker stepped out with what looked like a large glow stick and swung, catching the Dark Clone in the face as he plowed forward into the ground.

"Just a little something I put together… works just like a bat on ghosts, intangible or not." He bragged.

"Not bad child…" the alternate Danny said in an icy tone as he got up off the ground, "I'll remember your death fondly. AFTER I deal with my goody two shoes copy!"

Before anyone could react, Danny's evil self made two more copies of himself and trapped Tucker and Sam in a large energy bubble. The original, meanwhile, shot up off the ground faster than should have been possible, and hammered down on Danny's head with both fists. Danni could only watch in horror as her cousin fell towards the ground, crashing violently and unconscious only feet away from his friends.

"Now… do you continue to fight? Or will you run?" he asked, looking at Danni.

There were no words, only fear that gripped at her very soul as she turned and ran from her friends, her cousin, and who she was sure would be her death. But as she thought of him who would be the end of her, she remembered something interesting about him… and an idea formed as she flew towards the Fenton Works Portal. "Hang on guys," she whispered, hoping that her plan would work, "I know how to win…"

As he stood over the unconscious form of his "good" self the evil that was Danny Phantom could not have been happier… not only would he have the corpse of a weaker Danny, but he would also have his old friends to torture at his leisure. He reached down and summoned a couple Ecto Bonds to form on his weaker half's wrists and mouth.

"Wake up…" he instructed, lifting his head out of the dirt and propping open his eyelids, "I want you to watch as I kill you. I will be the last thing you see in this life."

"Let him go!" Tucker cried from inside the energy prison he had summoned, "What the hell is wrong with you?"

"What's wrong with me?" Danny yelled, striding over to the shield bubble that held his captives, "I am perfection and power in one! There is nothing wrong with ME. But there is something wrong with this world. I will rule it with an iron fist and you will all serve your rightful place under my heel!"

"That will never happen!" Sam yelled back, "Even if you kill all three of us, there is more you'll have to put up with. The ghosts in here alone will take you out. And there are people back home that are just as skilled at dealing with you as Danny is."

"Ahhh, but you see, there's the problem… HE wasn't strong enough to DEAL WITH ME! NO ONE IS! So now you're going to watch as I burn your Boyfriend's face into a ash, and then you'll endure to many torments at my hands to count!"

He strode back over to Danny's fallen form and held his face up for all to see. "This is what will happen to ALL who oppose me!" he screamed, his hand hovering in front of Danny's face, glowing with deadly red energy…

_**Well now… this was a confusing chapter to write… sorry for any mix ups. But I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did. There was a lot here in case you missed it. But what will happen now? Will Danny die? Will Danni's plan actually work? I guess you'll just have to find out next chapter now won't you? If you have any thoughts, please tell them to everyone in the Review's page. I love consistent reviewers, but the only one who has bothered for the past month is Silverradio. So this chapter, and this story, is dedicated to you Radio.**_

_**Happy Living,**_

_**musicalreader**_


	8. Chapter 8

_**My Own Worst Enemy**_

_Part 8_

"In the end, loyalty is all a matter of times and dates."

Danni hurtled through the Ghost-Zone, racing against time as she tried to remember what she was after. She could still hear the battle raging in the distance behind her as the percussive waves of a Ghostly Wail washed over her and propelled her faster towards her destination. Finally, after what she hoped was only a minute, she found the exit into the Fenton's Lab. When she went through, her eyes immediately started darting around the sterile environment, fixating on a closet marked **FAILED**. If she knew Jack Fenton, he would put the one thing that could save everyone in the junk room. She barreled through the door and looked around. Finally she saw it standing in the corner, which made sense given its size, and grabbed hold, turning intangible to lighten the load and went right back to where she came from willing every cell in her body to move faster than it ever had before in the hopes of getting back in time to help Danny, Sam, and Tucker…

Danny opened his eyes and was frozen with fear as his mind processed what was directly in front of his face.

"Ahhh good, you're awake…" the evil copy said sarcastically, keeping his charged fist directly in front of Danny's face.

"What are you going to do?" Danny asked, stalling for time, "And where's Danni?"

"Your, sorry, OUR _**cousin**_, has run away… but don't worry child. When I'm done killing you, there will be plenty of time to find her…" he responded, smiling viciously and walking in circles around Danny.

"What about Tucker and Sam?"

"See for yourself." He answered, gesturing for Danny to look to his right.

Not being able to see a way out at the moment, Danny glanced over and saw Tucker and Sam locked in an energy sphere. They were pounding and kicking, trying to break out.

"What are you doing to them?" Danny asked, noticing that even though his friends mouths moved, he couldn't hear a sound.

"It's a little improvement I made to the sphere… it allows for them to hear us, but anything they say is silenced… I think they'll make for an excellent bit of entertainment while I'm laying waste to your world."

"You're never going to get away with this."

"You keep saying that and yet I'M NOT THE ONE ABOUT TO HAVE HIS FACE REVERTED TO A PUDDLE OF BURNT SKULL AND SKIN! Honestly, do you think I'm as stupid as Vlad was when I took his powers and made them my own? Unlike him, I'm not going to ramble on about my plans or offer you a chance to join me… now say goodbye to this world Danny Fenton."

Danny gritted his teeth and looked his murderer in the eyes ready to greet death as an old friend, when out of the silence of the Zone there came a sharp cry…

"Danny!"

His dark copy looked up, glancing away for just long enough to allow Danny to roll out of the way as Danni came down like a falling meteor and landed feet first in his would be killer's chest. A groan came from the hole Danni created by driving him into the ground and Danny sat up as best he could with his bonds still restraining him and limiting his powers. Danni jumped out and flew over to her cousin, holding what looked like a large tennis racket and shattering his bonds with a couple energy kicks.

"Danny! I got back as fast as I could. Use this on him. I think if you separate him into his original two parts, he'll be vulnerable enough to finally beat!"

"Then why didn't you do that when you crashed into him?" Danny asked, exasperated but glad she had come back to help.

"I… I didn't really think that part through… but I don't know how to turn this thing on anyway!"

"Give me that…" Danny ordered, taking the Ghost Catcher from her, "And go get Sam and Tucker out of that trap!"

It took a couple of seconds, but Danny found the on switch made sure that the separate side was facing away from him. His evil version was still getting up from out of the ground when an idea occurred to him. He quickly made another clone, the effects of using his powers finally starting to hit him. He then gave the clone the Catcher and seny him to hide behind one of the larger pieces of rubble.

"No more delays!" his evil version yelled, finally back on his feet. "This ends NOW!"

"I couldn't agree more…" Danny said.

The dark version of Danny began hurling red blasts of ectoplasm at random, fury disintegrating any shred of control he once had. Danny braced himself and drew up a shield to protect him from the energy blasts, meanwhile concentrating every available bit of his consciousness into what he hoped would be his final attack. When he saw an opening, Danny pulled down the shield, sprinted forward in between the shots being taken at him, and when he was within a foot of his alternate self, let loose one final Ghostly Wail.

The concussive wave his weaker half created sent him sprawling head over heels in a twisted somersault through the air. As the world spun around him, he was able to make out a second Danny Phantom stepping out from behind a boulder. His last conscious thought was a howl of protest as he passed through the hoop and a sharp pain unlike any other he had experienced, almost as if his body were pulling against itself and splitting him in two…

_**Well now… that was interesting wasn't it? Did you see anything like that coming? If you thought this was good, wait until the last chapter is written and released next week. Sorry about the delay, but I have had a lot to do actually for it being a break. A HUGE THANK YOU to a couple of people, without whom I might have just decided to give up on this whole story, if you could please pat yourselves on the back The Silver Radio and Aras The Crazy Writer… this chapter is for the two of you, however much that means to you.**_

_**Happy living,**_

_**musicalreader**_


	9. Chapter 9

_**My Own Worst Enemy**_

_Part 9_

"Everything is because of what it was before. Our choices decide our history. Whether it is Good or Evil, we decide"

Danny watched, too stunned to speak, as the demon that had plagued his friends and him went through the ring of energy and split cleanly into two distinct people.

The bodies laid on the ground for what seemed like forever before one of them started to rise. Vlad Plasmius got up off the ground shakily, gritting his teeth and glaring at Danny. "I'LL KILL YOU YET BOY!" he screamed, lunging at Danny.

But before Plasmius could get anywhere near him, a blue beam of light shot out and sucked Vlad into the very Thermos that had recently held Danni captive.

"Not on your life creep…" Sam muttered, capping the Thermos.

"Thanks babe… I don't think I could have taken on the Box Ghost right now." Danny said, collapsing to his knees and reverting back to his human form.

"Hey…" she said quietly, kneeling beside him and whispering, "Are you going to be alright?"

"Yeah. I'll be fine." He reassured her, "As long as I don't have to fight anyone for a little bit."

"Guys!" Tucker called from where he was kneeling next to the other body, "We have a problem!"

"What is it?" Danny asked, limping over, helped along by Sam.

"He's…You're…This guy isn't breathing." Tuck stuttered.

"I'll take it from here Tucker." Clockwork said, appearing out of a vortex overhead. "Sorry that I couldn't help you before, but you had to defeat him yourself."

"You ran because you _**couldn't help?**_" Sam yelled, "Do you have ANY idea how much danger we were all in?"

"Of course I knew… just as I knew that it would all end well… this time."

"This time?" Danny asked. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, there is more than just your dimension Daniel. The portals I use are simply shortcuts between them. I see what is happening in each and every one and they all reflect choices made in another universe."

"So how does that help him?" he questioned, pointing at what he could now see was a 14 year old version of himself, complete with the old uniform.

"He is simply exhausted, after all, he has been possessing Plasmius for the batter part of two decades. Now, if you are done…I am going to take him back to the world he trashed when he was corrupted, and I'll make sure he helps to rebuild."

"Won't people still be scared of him?" Sam asked.

"I am the master of time, and he has been _**dead**_ for at least ten years in his universe… do you really think that it will be easy? His path is still long and hard. Yours however, is still waiting. And don't worry, I'll keep an eye on him in case something else goes wrong."

With that, Clockwork scooped up the battered form of Danny and disappeared in another vortex. The remaining four friends stood there too tired and surprised by everything to do anything. Finally, Danni broke the silence…

"Maybe we should all go home and get some rest…" she suggested.

"The speeder is destroyed." Tucker pointed out, motioning to the wreckage. "And Sam and I can't fly…"

"You take Tucker Danni… I'm going to spend some time with Sam and we'll be back soon." Danny instructed, staring off into the void.

Danni grabbed Tucker's hand and they flew off towards the Fenton's portal while Danny watched. Sam walked up behind him and hugged him close.

"Are you going to be alright?" she asked.

"Yeah, I'll be fine… just thinking is all…"

"Are you able to fly?"

"Yeah, but I wanted to talk to you for a bit alone."

"About what?" Sam asked, spinning him around.

"Clockwork said that there's an infinite number of universes with different futures because of decisions we make…"

"Yes… what about it?"

"Well, I just realized that somewhere, someWHEN, we aren't together… and that was because of probably just one decision… what if that happens to us here?" Danny said, starting to get anxious.

"Danny. I don't know why we would ever be apart, and I don't pretend to know what will happen… but I know that I love you. Right here, right now… and nothing I can think of will ever change that. I've seen you at your worst and I still loved you. We'll be okay." Sam said, trying to comfort him and digging her nails into his back as she tried to hold him close forever.

"Yeah… I don't want this to ever end…" Danny agreed, "Hey, how long have we been going out?"

"Uhhh, I think... six years next month." She replied.

"Do you want to take a big step?"

"What are you talking about?" Sam asked, looking up at Danny worriedly.

"Sam, I love you. I've never felt for you like any other girl…" Danny said kneeling and holding her hands in his, "I want you to be with me forever… Will you marry me?"

She stood there in shock for a minute or two, not sure whether to cry, laugh, both, or what. Finally, Sam nodded her head, mute with happiness and a tear of joy rolling down her cheek. When he saw her reaction, Danny crowed with delight and shot up in the air flying circles and letting off random shots of energy that exploded like fireworks. Sam watched in wonder as her boyfriend, no, her _**fiancée **_put on a show just for her. He finally touched down long enough to pick her up and hold her close as he floated with her in his arms.

"Are you sure about this?" she asked when she was able to speak.

"Definitely… now let's get out of here and tell the others." Danny said grinning ear to ear.

"Alright hero… let's go home…" she agreed, out of breath and anxious to share the news and looking forward to the future that now seemed especially bright.

_**I hope everyone enjoyed the finale to MOWE. The reason it is so late and so short is because this is the fourth time I have written this part. I couldn't decide which ending to use, but I chose this one because of what my next story will be about. It will be a one shot and a bit of a fluff piece… anyway, I hope you enjoyed it. though it is pointless to leave a review for future chapters, I would like to hear from everyone about whether or not they LIKED the chapter or NOT. Humor me please **___

_**Happy Reading,**_

_**musicalreader**_


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